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Kirkland
Kirkland is a city in King County, Washington. Kirkland is a suburb east of Seattle and north of Bellevue. Its population was 88,630 in a 2017 census estimate, which made it the sixth largest city in the county. The city's downtown waterfront has restaurants, art galleries, a performing arts center, public parks, beaches, and a collection of public art. History The land around Lake Washington to the east of Seattle was first settled by Native Americans. English settlers arrived in the late 1860s, when the McGregor and Popham families built homesteads in what is now the Houghton neighborhood. Four miles to the north people also settled near what is now called Juanita Bay, a favored campsite of the Natives because a wild potato, "wapatos", thrived there. The Curtis family arrived in the area in the 1870s, followed by the French family in 1872. The Forbes family homesteaded what is now Juanita Beach Park in 1876, and settled on Rose Hill in 1877. Gradually, additional people settled in the area, and by the end of the 1880s, a small number of logging, farming and boat-building communities were established. In 1886, Peter Kirk, a British-born enterprising businessman seeking to expand the family’s Moss Bay steel production company, moved to Washington after hearing that iron deposits had been discovered in the Cascade mountain range. Other necessary components such as limestone, needed in steel smelting, were readily available in the area. Further yet, a small number of coalmines (a required fuel source for steel mills) had recently been established nearby in Newcastle and train lines were already under construction. Plans were also underway to build the Lake Washington Ship Canal. Kirk realized that if a town were built near the water it would be a virtual freshwater port to the sea, as well as help support any prospective mill. At the time, however, Kirk was not a U.S. citizen and could not purchase any land. Leigh S. J. Hunt, then owner of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, offered to partner with Kirk and buy the necessary real estate. Under their new venture, the Kirkland Land and Development Company, Kirk and Hunt purchased thousands of acres of land in what is now Kirkland’s downtown in July 1888. Kirk and his associates started the construction of a new steel mill soon after, named Moss Bay Iron and Steel Company of America. After founding the city of Kirkland in 1888, officially one of the earliest on the Eastside at the time, Kirk’s vision of a "Pittsburgh of the West" was beginning to take form. Construction soon commenced on several substantial brick homes and business blocks that would house and serve the steel mill employees. However, the Seattle, Lake Shore and Eastern Railway, which had recently been purchased by Tacoma-based Northern Pacific, had now refused to construct a rail line to the lake. This would, after all, have a negative impact on Tacoma, which was furiously competing with Seattle as the dominant Puget Sound seaport. The ensuing financial issues and numerous obstacles took a toll on Kirk, who was running out of investors. Hunt was also in debt from the purchase of land. Nevertheless, the plans continued and the steel mill was eventually completed in late 1892 on Rose Hill (a full two miles (3 km) from the lake's shore). Financial issues arose and due to the Panic of 1893 the mill subsequently closed without ever producing any steel. In spite of everything, Kirk was determined not to give up on his namesake town, and Kirkland was finally incorporated in 1905 with a population of approximately 532. A final attempt at a steel mill in Kirkland was planned by James A. Moore in 1906. His company, the Northwestern Iron & Steel Company paid $250,000 in cash for a 1,500-acre (6.1 km2) site but the mill never materialized. This came at the heels of the Pacific Steel Company, incorporated earlier in 1906 by J.F. Duthie, William Calvert and L.S. Cragin. This company soon amounted to nothing. In 1900 the Curtis family made a living operating a ferry-construction business on Lake Washington. Along with Captain John Anderson, the Curtises were among the first to run ferries in the area. Leschi, first operated on December 27, 1913, was the original wooden ferry to transport automobiles and people between the Eastside and Madison Park until her retirement in 1950. The ferry operations ran nearly continuously for 18 hours each day. The construction of the first Lake Washington floating bridge in 1940, however, made ferry service unprofitable and eventually led to its cancellation. Subsequent years saw wool milling and warship building become the major industries. The first woolen mill in the state of Washington was built in Kirkland in 1892. The mill was the primary supplier of wool products for the Alaska Gold Rush prospectors and for the U.S. military during World War I. By 1917, after the completion of the Lake Washington Ship Canal, the construction of ocean-going vessels had become a major business. By 1940, the thriving Lake Washington Shipyard had constructed more than 25 warships during World War II for the U.S. Navy, on what is now Carillon Point. Geography Kirkland is bordered to the west by Lake Washington, to the east by Redmond, to the south by Bellevue, and to the north by Kenmore, Woodinville, and Bothell. Kirkland is accessible via Interstate 405, which connects it with other Eastside cities, including Bellevue, Renton, and Bothell. Seattle, which is west of Kirkland, as well as Redmond to the east, are both accessible through State Highway 520. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 17.83 square miles (46.18 km2), of which, 17.818 square miles (46.15 km2) is land and 0.012 square miles (0.03 km2) is water. The elevation varies from 14 to 500 feet (150 m) above sea level. Kirkland is located at 47°41′9″N 122°11′30″W (47.685821, -122.191729). Climate Kirkland's average temperature is 52 °F, and the average annual precipitation 36.27 inches. The highest temperature was recorded as 104 °F in July 2009. The lowest temperature was recorded as −5 °F in January 1950. Education Kirkland is home to Lake Washington Technical College and Northwest University, formerly Northwest College of the Assemblies of God. Northwest University is a small Christian school. Kirkland is bordered on the northwest by the campus of Bastyr University, which is in Kenmore. Public Safety The Kirkland Police Department is the city's public safety department. Crime is far below the state and national average in Kirkland. In a ten year span from 2001 to 2010, there were 11 murders reported within the city. Property crime remains the highest type of crime within the city. Fire coverage is provided by the Kirkland Fire Department. Kirkland has two hospitals. The Larger Evergreen Health Medical Center and the smaller Fairfax Hospital which is a behavioral facility. Media The Kirkland Reporter is the sole newspaper specifically for Kirkland. Formly, The East Side Journal ran from 1918 to 1976. The Eastside Week ran from 1990 to 1998. Recreation During the summer, local residents of neighboring cities flock to Kirkland to visit Kirkland's many waterfront parks on Lake Washington. Kirkland has neighborhood parks as well, contains a corner of Saint Edward State Park, and abuts the equestrian Bridle Trails State Park. The waterfront parks are linked by a paved trail, which is open until dusk. Juanita Beach Park is another major park in Kirkland, and is a tourist attraction. Culture Kirkland had a gallery district downtown until recent years when all but three galleries closed or moved away. The Kirkland Performance Center hosts a number of performing arts events. The Kirkland Arts Center, located in the historic Peter Kirk Building on Market Street, provides classes, workshops and community-oriented gallery space. Kirkland hosted the annual Kirkland Concours d'Elegance at Carillon Point until 2011, attracting vintage and classic automobiles from across the country. Transportation In 2006, Kirkland was the first city in Washington to adopt a Complete Streets ordinance, whereby pedestrian and bicycle facilities are addressed as a part of all road construction and improvement planning projects. Kirkland passed an Active Transportation Plan in 2009 specifically targeting improvements to pedestrian, bicycle, and equestrian facilities. Public Transit Kirkland is served by King County Metro and Sound Transit Express buses that converge in Downtown Kirkland, Totem Lake, and South Kirkland. The city also has several park and ride facilities along Interstate 405. Category:King County Category:Cities & Towns Category:Washington State Wiki